Impact of COVID-19 in patients on active melanoma therapy and with history of melanoma

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Deepak Ravindranathan, Emory University; Douglas B Johnson, Vanderbilt University; Michael B Atkins, Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center; Cassandra Hennessy, Vanderbilt University Medical Center; Trisha Wise-Draper, University of Cincinnati; Hannah Heilman, University of Cincinnati; Joy Awosika, University of Cincinnati; Ziad Bakouny, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Chris Labaki, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Renee Maria Saliby, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Clara Hwang, Henry Ford Hospital; Sunny RK Singh, Henry Ford Hospital; Nino Balanchivadze, Henry Ford Hospital; Christopher R Friese, University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center; Leslie A Fecher, University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center; James J Yoon, University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center; Brandon Hayes-Lattin, Oregon Health & Science University; Mehmet Bilen, Emory University; Cecilia A Castellano, Emory University; Gary H Lyman, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center; Lisa Tachiki, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center; Sumit A Shah, Stanford Cancer Institute; Michael J Glover, Stanford Cancer Institute; Daniel B Flora, St. Elizabeth Healthcare; Elizabeth Wulff-Burchfield, University of Kansas Cancer Center; Anup Kasi, University of Kansas Cancer Center; Saqib H Abbasi, University of Kansas Cancer Center; Dimitrios Farmakiotis, Brown University; Kendra Viera, Brown University; Elizabeth J Klein, Brown University; Lisa B Weissman, Mount Auburn Hospital; Chinmay Jani, Mount Auburn Hospital; Matthew Puc, Virtua Health; Catherine C Fahey, Vanderbilt University Medical Center; Daniel Y Reuben, Medical University of South Carolina; Sanjay Mishra, Vanderbilt University Medical Center; Alicia Beeghly-Fadiel, Vanderbilt University Medical Center; Benjamin French, Vanderbilt University Medical Center; Jeremy L Warner, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
• Language: English
• Date: 2023-12-01
• Publisher: Emory University Libraries
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © The Author(s) 2023
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12885-023-10708-6
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: BMC Cancer
• Volume: 23
• Issue: 1
• Start Page: 265
• End Page: 265
• Grant/Funding Information: CCF is supported by T32 CA217834-05. LT received grant funding from the NIH 5T32CA009515-37.; This study was partly supported by grants from the National Cancer Institute [grant number P30 CA068485 to Vanderbilt University Medical Center].; REDCap is developed and supported by Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research grant support (UL1 TR000445 from NCATS / NIH).; The study was partly supported by grants from the Melanoma Research Foundation (to DBJ). CRF is supported by P30 CA046592 and T32 CA236621.
• Keywords: Humans; Immune therapy; Cancer; Targeted therapy; Immunotherapy; COVID-19; Melanoma; Multiple Organ Failure
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Oncology; Health Sciences, Medicine and Surgery

Abstract

Introduction: COVID-19 particularly impacted patients with co-morbid conditions, including cancer. Patients with melanoma have not been specifically studied in large numbers. Here, we sought to identify factors that associated with COVID-19 severity among patients with melanoma, particularly assessing outcomes of patients on active targeted or immune therapy. Methods: Using the COVID-19 and Cancer Consortium (CCC19) registry, we identified 307 patients with melanoma diagnosed with COVID-19. We used multivariable models to assess demographic, cancer-related, and treatment-related factors associated with COVID-19 severity on a 6-level ordinal severity scale. We assessed whether treatment was associated with increased cardiac or pulmonary dysfunction among hospitalized patients and assessed mortality among patients with a history of melanoma compared with other cancer survivors. Results: Of 307 patients, 52 received immunotherapy (17%), and 32 targeted therapy (10%) in the previous 3 months. Using multivariable analyses, these treatments were not associated with COVID-19 severity (immunotherapy OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.19 – 1.39; targeted therapy OR 1.89, 95% CI 0.64 – 5.55). Among hospitalized patients, no signals of increased cardiac or pulmonary organ dysfunction, as measured by troponin, brain natriuretic peptide, and oxygenation were noted. Patients with a history of melanoma had similar 90-day mortality compared with other cancer survivors (OR 1.21, 95% CI 0.62 – 2.35). Conclusions: Melanoma therapies did not appear to be associated with increased severity of COVID-19 or worsening organ dysfunction. Patients with history of melanoma had similar 90-day survival following COVID-19 compared with other cancer survivors.